After being diagnosed with skin cancer, Dayanara Torres finds the joy and strength in her kids Cristian, 18, and Ryan, 15, to continue fighting for her health. The loving boys have been — along with her mom, sister and friends — her biggest source of support during this difficult time. The former Miss Universe recently shared happy news on Instagram. The proud mom, 44, announced that her son Cristian, had been accepted into various prestigious universities. “Visiting the four universities he applied to and was accepted to —and two of those with merit scholarships! So proud of my boy!” she wrote about her oldest son with singer Marc Anthony.

Dayanara Torres Instagram

In the post, she also shared photos and videos of her trip with Cristian to research his future university. Torres doesn’t seem worried that Cristian might soon leave their home in California and start a new life as a college student. On the contrary, the Puerto Rican actress and TV host showed her excitement about her son soon spreading his wings and pursuing his own dreams.

Torres also shared a sweet post on Instagram with videos of an earlier trip with Cristian to San Francisco’s Pier 39, where they enjoyed delicious seafood and visited an aquarium and marina together. “Still the same Cristian!” she wrote in her heartfelt message. “The same boy filled with curiosity, that asked me to take him to the aquariums, museums, zoos, to later draw for hours what he had seen there. He could spend entire days drawing beautiful pictures with the most amazing details. For me, it was like watching him create magic.”

The former Mira Quien Baila winner spoke to People en Español about staying positive as she continues her radiation treatment and relying on her faith and family’s love to pull through. “Many people ask me: ‘How are you dealing with everything that is happening to you?’ Well, with a lot of gratitude. It’s ironic, right?” she said. “In the midst of the pain, the fear and uncertainty, I have been able to remember how blessed I am. I feel very inspired, not only to heal andfeel 100 percent recovered in my health and in my heart, but also to continue to create awareness on how to prevent [this disease] and always maintain a positive attitude.”